Emperor’s Domination

A palace towered on Empress Star, surprisingly not made from precious metals and embellished with dazzling lines. Nonetheless, the simple palace still looked like the center of the world.

All living beings had no choice but to look up in its presence, feeling insignificant in the process.

Li Qiye pushed the door and entered while Demon Conqueror waited for him outside.

The interior decoration matched the external simplicity. Each brick and tile was ordinary at first glance but within them are the unique sounds of the grand dao.

With each step, he activated the unique dao embedded within them. The movement, force, and distance had to be just right for the runes to show up.

The runes gradually floated up in the air after appearing, creating a passageway up to the sky vault.

Once he got far enough, he saw a curtain draping downward, blocking everything ahead. However, due to his special path, he lifted the curtain without any resistance and entered.

This curtain was a tougher defense than the suppression of Empress Star. Nonetheless, Li Qiye seemed to be an exception.

He came in and saw a celestial expanse with eternal glimmers. Gazing at the twinkling stars made one unconsciously merge with it.

A woman stood proudly in the distance, looking matchless throughout the ages. She faced the starry expanse with her back to Li Qiye while being one with this dimension.

“Rumble!” A supreme throne emerged, flashing with an eternal light. It seemed to have been crafted with the temporal affinity. Time flowed on the surface, allowing whoever sitting on it to travel freely through time.

Li Qiye sighed after seeing the figure then sat down on the throne, closing his eyes.

He crossed through one era after another until he was back in the nine worlds, witnessing a girl always moving forward regardless of the storm.

A battlefield could be seen next and the girl was older. Her sword pierced through one combatant after another; she suffered just as many wounds. Nonetheless, she kept standing despite the pain.

The scene changed again - the girl was now a beautiful woman capable of suppressing emperors with a single hand wave. Her Emperor Suppression Art dominated, allowing her to kill mighty cultivators.

Another scene popped up in his mind - she had proven her dao and reached the apex in the nine worlds. Godkings and others could only prostrate from a distance, not daring to get close.

The myriad dao waited beneath her feet. The high heaven had no response to her power. She accepted the Heaven’s Will; its radiance paled compared to hers.

***

Li Qiye enjoyed this trip to the past, watching the girl move forward. Of course, there was always the shadow of a crow nearby.

“I still remember, it’s not like leaving means forgetting.” He said softly while looking at the woman.

“I still remember that day vividly as well.” He added, causing the figure to shudder.

“This isn’t a matter of choice. It’s just that some things should be done and vice versa.” He continued: “Wenxin’s comment was right but because of this, she felt guilty for the rest of her life and eventually passed away.”

The figure shuddered again, seemingly recalling the day of their parting. The argument escalated and they haven’t seen each other for eras.

The crow had always been with her since the start of her dao debut, guiding her forward until she became a supreme empress.

She wanted to repay him while staying with him forever. She believed that she could do it and that no price was too high.

Alas, her thoughts and plan were rejected. She was willing to sacrifice everything for this goal but he thought otherwise. This became their first major argument and parting.

“To know but not act.” He said softly before taking out an iron box and placing it down.

“I know what you’ve done but the price is not worth it. Going down this path makes you the same as everyone else. You may think that it is worth it but you don’t realize that I don’t want you to value me higher than yourself. Otherwise, this will become your inner demon, there is no overcoming this.” He said.

The figure finally turned around to take a look at Li Qiye.

“When you two gave this to me back then, although I didn’t agree, I still couldn’t destroy it. Wenxin is no longer around so here, I am giving it back to you. Make your choice on the next path.” He said earnestly.

She stared at the iron box, momentarily lost in thought. She had expended countless efforts to obtain it. Everything was within reach and they would surely succeed with his approval.

Alas, he ended up scolding her harshly - the first time he had ever berated her.

“Can we...” She finally spoke; her voice and words seemed to be for him alone. No one else in this world could hear her.

“I am still here, aren’t I? Everything needs time and patience. If we can achieve what we want after a single wave of the hand, then success is meaningless, our long path would have been meaningless as well.”

She listened attentively before reaching for the box. She exerted a supreme force and crushed the content into powder. The pieces dissipated into nothingness.

This was an ultimate item, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the mortal world. She risked her life and didn’t regret it for a single second as long as she could deliver it to him.

“So, everything returns to the starting point for a new start.” He said: “There are no shortcuts toward the dao or you will fall into darkness eventually. The long road you’ve traveled would have resulted in nothing, akin to drawing water with a bamboo basket.”

“I just want to be with you.” She said softly yet nothing could shake her determination. She was not lying; fulfilling his desires was her life goal.

He sighed and said: “We can go as far as we want on this endless dao path, together. As long as you don’t stray from the path and lose your way.”

She stared at him and didn’t answer.

“Things will come as long as we exercise patience, it will just take time and endurance.” He added.